Ch.VI. south AMERICA. 281 



fomething difagreeable, the mornings being fo cold as 

 to require ^varmer cloathing ; but the fun foon dif- 

 perfes this inconvenience. 



As the peftilence, whofe ravages among the human 

 fpecies in Europe, and other parts, are fo dreadful, is " 

 unknown both at Qinto and throughout all America, 

 fo is alfo the madnefs in dogs. And though they have 

 fome idea of the peftilence, and call thole difeafes fi- 

 milar in their efFed:s by that name, they are entirely 

 ignorant of the canine madnefs ; and exprefs their 

 aftonilhment when an European relates the melan- 

 choly efFe6ls of it. Thofe inhabitants, on the other 

 hand, are here fubjed to a diftemper unknown in Eu- 

 rope, and may be compared to the fmall-pox, v/hich 

 few or none efcape ; but having once got through it, 

 they have nothing more to apprehend from that quar- 

 ter. This diftemper is one of thofe called pefte ; and 

 its fymptoms are convulfions in every part of the 

 body, a continual endeavour to bite, delirium, vomit- 

 ing blood ; and thofe whofe conftitutions are not ca- 

 pable of fupporting the confli6ls of the diftemper, 

 perifti. But this is not peculiar to Quito, being equal- 

 ly common throughout all South America. 



CHAP. VII. 



Fertility of the Territories of Quito, and the com* 

 mo7i Food of its Inhabitants, 



THOUGH an account of the fruits fhould na- 

 turally fucceed that of the climate, I determin- 

 ed, on account of their variety, and their being dif- 

 ferent in different parts, to defer a circumftantial de- 

 fcripticn, till I come to treat more particularly of each 

 of the jurifdidions. So that I fhall here only take a 

 tranfient view of the perennial beauty and pleafant- 

 peis of the country j which has hardly its equal in any 



part 



